ABSTRACT
Background & objectives: The role of mosquitoes is instrumental in the transmission of various diseases. Mosquitoeborne diseases account for a significant share of the global burden of total infectious diseases. Vector control is the principal method for the control of these mosquito-borne diseases. Plant-derived insecticides serve as an effective alternative to chemical insecticides. The present study has been undertaken to assess the larvicidal potential of methanol and petroleum ether extracts of leaves of Solanum xanthocarpum, Parthenium hysterophorus, Manihot esculenta, and Chamaecyparis obtusa. Methods: Larvicidal activity was tested against the early four-stage instar larvae of laboratory-reared susceptible strains of the malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi, dengue fever vector, Aedes aegypti, and the lymphatic filariasis vector, Culex quinquefasciatus at 20 to 120 ppm concentrations. Further, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analyses were carried out to identify the bioactive compounds present in the methanolic leaf extracts of Solanum xanthocarpum for designing a larvicidal product in future. Results: After 72 h of exposure high larvicidal activities were observed in methanolic and petroleum ether leaves extract of S. xanthocarpum against An. stephensi, Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus. The larvicidal activities for methanol and petroleum ether leaf extract of S. xanthocarpum with LC50 = 09.201 and 12.435 ppm and LC90 = 21.578 and 27.418 ppm for An. stephensi; LC50 = 11.450 and 10.026 ppm and LC90 = 26.328 and 22.632 ppm for Ae. aegypti and LC50 = 12.962 and 13.325 ppm and LC90 = 26.731 and 30.409 ppm for Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively, were found to be most effective. GC-MS analysis revealed 43 compounds, amongst these phytol (13.09%), 3-allyl-2- methoxy phenol (9.55%), (9Z, 12Z)-9, 12-octadecadienoyl chloride (7.93%), linoleic acid (5.45%), alpha-tocospiro B (5.08%) and hexadecanoic acid (4.35%) were identified as major compounds. Interpretation & conclusion: Present work showed that leaf extracts of S. xanthocarpum are a source of potential natural candidate that possess several phytochemicals which can be explored further for the development of ecologically safer mosquito control products.